Researchers travel all around the UK to interview people with a range of different experiences and backgrounds. For each health issue we cover, they find 40-50 people through GPs, hospital clinics, charities, support groups and via our website and social media. They find out what matters to them by asking each person to tell their story, in their own words.

The researcher picks out the main themes from across the interviews and writes 20-30 detailed summaries. Video and audio clips are selected from the interviews to illustrate the different experiences people described. Each research project is supported by an advisory panel made up of people affected by the health issue, health professionals, academics and staff from relevant charities.

The research is carried out by the Health Experiences Research Group at The University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. The team use rigorous qualitative research methods to capture the full range of experiences associated with each health condition. Find out more about the research team and methods.